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Maintaining a DIY Craft Blog

Maintaining a successful DIY craft blog can be quite rewarding. However, without proper planning, a little

discipline and focus, it can become time consuming and overwhelming. How often should I blog? Where do I find the seemingly endless supply of content? How do I bring traffic to my blog? When do I make time to actually craft?

How often I have heard these questions from professional craft designers like myself, I can no longer say. I can say that the solution is not cookie-cutter! What works for me in my business will be different from what works in yours. So, what each of your plans look like will vary from business to business. For the sake of argument, I am approaching this blog from the perspective of a professional craft designer.

Before we get into identifying some solutions, I would like to ask you a question. What is your business? Yes, yes…I know I already said that I am going to tackle this from the perspective of a professional craft designer. The reason for this question will shortly become clear. I'd like you to keep it in the back of your mind. Professional craft designers wear many hats. We create physical art for craft manufacturers and publications, we write books, we teach nationally and internationally, we test product not yet on the market, we design packaging, we design booths for industry trade shows, we license art…just to name a few. As business owners, we are responsible for our own marketing, accounting, social media strategy, PR, etc. etc. etc. It's a BIG job. Then…we throw blogging into this mix! Why? Some of us do it because we really enjoy doing blogging….some of us because we feel pressured into blogging. It is that latter group that struggles. It is to this group that blogging becomes an uninspired chore. So, I remind you…what is your business?????

Just to give some perspective, let me answer this question by telling you that I am in the business of crafts and creative business growth. I am NOT in the business of blogging, though I use blogging as a tool to reach craft consumers and businesses.Last week, I wrote a post about Being YOU in Business. I feel it is important to

bring up now because it really lends itself to some of the issues that come along with blogging. There is A LOT of comparing going on out there with craft professionals…comparing themselves to the craft "super bloggers". Are you looking to be a professional blogger? No? Then stop comparing yourself to them and stop trying to emulate what they do. For them, blogging is a full time job! You have a job. Give yourself permission to be who you are and … GO AND CREATE!

This brings me to my first point…finding time to create. I put to you a different perspective…let's find time to promote! A DIY craft blog is a tool for promotion. Once you start viewing it that way, it might take off some of the unnecessary pressure you have been putting on yourself. If you aren't creating, there is nothing to promote. So create first…schedule into your day and week time to promote.

So how often should you blog? There are so many opinions on this subject that it is dizzying! One thing holds true though….how consistently you blog is way more important than how often you blog. Is it important to post 5 days a week? In my honest opinion, it really isn't. I think there is a misconception that you must have daily fresh content, otherwise readers will not return. This simply isn't the case. It is more important to attract new, unique users than having the same visitor base coming back over and over again. Now, I am not saying that we don't want to have return visitors! I am just saying that we cannot focus on that alone. You always want to grow your audience. I personally blog twice a week. I shoot for Mondays and Thursdays…and I don't beat myself up if I am a day late or if (as was pointed out earlier) I am on a deadline for a manufacturer and it prevents me from getting in both of my posts up. This has not effected my traffic adversely at all. My blog traffic continues to grow!

Speaking of blog traffic…let's not confuse "traffic" with "subscribers". This is another misconception. How many people subscribe to your blog is, again, not as important as the number of visitors to your blog. Not everyone that subscribes to your blog will come back and not everyone that visits your blog will subscribe. If you a manufacturer asks for your blog stats, they are not interested in your subscriber base. You month visitor and unique visitor numbers will be of more interest for them. In other words, what would be more impressive to you as a manufacturer: The fact that you have 10,000 subscribers to your blog OR that you have over a million unique visitors to your site every month? They are looking to discover your true reach.

Here are some ways that you can help increase your unique monthly blog traffic:

each time you post, announce your post on your social media channels like Twitter, Facebook and Google+

make sure you fill out the bio sections on all social media sites..include your link and a description of your blog

pin your blog pictures onto Pinterest from your site so that your URL is automatically attached to your pic

have a newsletter that people can opt-into, then send your blog posts to your subscribers

How you choose to manage your craft blog is key. Whether you blog once a week or seven, having a fresh supply of DIY craft content can become tricky. Designing the project, keeping proper track of the supplies you used, taking pictures of each step, staging beauty shots of the finished project, loading the pictures onto your computer, editing the pictures and the writing stepped-out, detailed directions takes a lot of time and effort! Let's face it, if you want to do it right, it can take hours just to write one post.If you don't want your blog to be all about tutorials, finding the right content can be problematic also.

I use two essential tools so that I don't run out of ideas…a notepad and a camera. I don't only write craft tutorials for my blog. I write about a variety of topics that are all from the perspective of craft business. I use a notebook to record all my thoughts and ideas. I could be in the middle of folding laundry when an idea pops into my head…I write it down! Sometimes I blog about that idea right away, especially if it ties in with what I have been blogging about most recently. Other times, those ideas sit in my notebook for a while. It becomes my resource for content when I am having writer's or crafter's block.

I do something similar with my camera. I have a small little Sony camera that fits into my bag. When I see something that I find inspiring or funny or interesting, I snap a few pictures. I keep these photos in a folder on my computer to blog about if I need quick content.

Now, as I said, I blog about a variety of topics…from craft tutorials to posts like this. What ties them together for me is that I am always coming from the perspective of the crafting industry. What then might work for a professional craft designer that only wishes to share craft content? Here are some ideas for posts other than craft tutorials:

Share who you are. How did you become a professional craft designer?

Take a photo of a piece of art of which you are most proud. What do you love about your creation?

What do you enjoy about being a professional designer? Is it getting to work with manufacturers? Is it that you are constantly working on a variety of projects?

Share the types of crafts you enjoy doing most. Are you a fabric artist? A jewelry artist? Why is it your favorite?

Take a picture of something that you found beautiful, sad, inspiring, happy, etc. and describe why you felt that way.

Create a folder of creative common licensed images that you find visually appealing. Share your thoughts about the images. What was interesting about it? What it the colors? Was it the composition?

How do you get out of a creative rut? Share your techniques.

Before and after: This is a great technique, especially if you do any type of recycled crafting. For example, if you make things out of soda cans, take a cool photo of a group of soda cans…then a photo of something you have made from soda cans. Ask your readers what ideas they might have.

Tips: Everyone loves tips. For example: 5 Tips for Storing Craft Supplies in a Small Space

Ideas: We can all get in a creative rut. For example: 10 Craft Ideas to Do with Kids on a Rainy Day

Techniques: Offer your readers some ideas about cool techniques.

My wish for you: I hope that you have been able to take away something of value from this post. If you take no other advice…let it be not to stress so much about your DIY craft blogging. Don't forget to be you…you're wonderful!

Thank you for taking the time to comment! I completely understand. It really hard when you are a solo-preneur to keep on top of things. I’m grateful that you enjoyed the post. I hope you are able to take away something valuable from it.

Thank you for such a wonderful thoughtful post, Theresa! I tend to fall into the trap of comparing myself to the "big bloggers" and feeling bad that my blog doesn't have big numbers like theirs do (hmm – sounds like high school 🙂 ). So this statement opened my eyes:"Then stop comparing yourself to them and stop trying to emulate what they do. For them, blogging is a full time job! You have a job. Give yourself permission to be who you are and … GO AND CREATE!"
I love that! Create first, then promote. Wonderful advice that I will take to heart! Thank you!

Hi Carmen…thank you for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment! I am thrilled that you took something valuable away from this post. I sincerely hope you’ll take that quote from my post, write it on an index card and place it where you see it all the time. You are unique…just be the best version of you. 🙂

Love this! I do not think of myself as a professional blogger but you are so right on target…I have been putting a lot of energy into trying to do just that! Feeling free now…thanks for the eye-opener!

Thank you for sharing this Theresa! You inspire me. I stopped blogging for a while because I had no idea why I was doing it. I knew what my desired outcome was, but had no clear view of my purpose or mission in relationship to my blog. Then I remember, I'm Super Momming, Fitness and Health Loving Coffee Addict who loves notebooks and having fun! I'll either make you laugh or make you cry! Most importantly, if my new hits don't like what I have to say, I'm sure there's another blog out there for them!
<3 Hugs and Coffee to you My friend!

Thank you for your thoughtful comment. It made me smile because there are some things in there that are just for me to understand! That’s awesome! I completely understand about the blogging. When I created my first blog several years ago, it completely stressed me out and I just stopped doing anything with it…now I know it was because there was no plan!
:)Clinkin’ coffee cups!

Great organizational tips. I break my day into 50 mins of work 10 mins break and then 30 mins break….If I stick with that schedule I get lots done. Working from home does lead to distraction and interruptions though 🙂

I worked from home until about 2 years ago when I moved my studio out of my house for exactly that reason. I was so distracted by things going on in the house and I was outgrowing my space! I wish I could work on a more structured schedule. Every fiber of my being fights that. lol

Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Phyllis. I hope you found something that will help you with your own blogging. Sometimes it isn’t only about being organized and having a plan…sometimes it is about having the proper mindset! You’re so talented and I admire you very much! I’m happy to help.

Wonderful article! You mentioned something that was key which is making time to create. We get so busy and unless we give ourselves the space to create nothing can move forward. Thanks for sharing such great insight!

Thank you, Sarah! That was a wonderful compliment. In my niche especially…we live to create and we create to live. It is our livelihood and who we are…if we didn’t make art we’d be only a fraction of ourselves. It is so important to create so that there is something to share.

Thank you for your words of wisdom, Theresa! I can so relate to your blog philosophies. I need to do a newsletter so badly. I think yours is one of the best I read. Thanks for all the suggestions. I've bookmarked for future reference.
-Molly

Oh, Theresa, it is always such a pleasure reading your articles! You put so much love into it! I like the fact that your tips can be applied to almost any other business and not just crafting! Great job! Thank you.

Thanks for the permission. Funny thing, I always have pressure on but this week am exhausted so my focus had changed, I am doing only what I can when I can with no pressure and would you believe, getting more done?
RELAX into it….
Great post!

Wow Theresa! This is my first time reading you and you have confirmed so much of what I've been mulling around in my overloaded brain as of late! Thank you!

"You have a job. Give yourself permission to be who you are and … GO AND CREATE!"
How many times must I bang my head against the same wall? *blush*I leave you now giving myself FULL permission to be ME and to GO AND CREATE! Mwah!

Great post. I also like to blog as a way for my customers to know a little bit about the way I think and what inspires me. Most of my art has a back story anyway. Thanks for all of your continued inspiration and information!

Love the posts and the insights. I too have heard the recommendation to post daily, but I truly believe that advice is for a different type of blogger and a different type of reader.

Crafty blog readers are looking for ideas and inspiration–things to make. They too get overwhelmed with the idea of trying to make everything they find on the web. (How many Pinterest jokes have you seen about spending so many hours pinning…that you never get around to making the things you pin?!?!)

A great idea once a week is about all I can take in from anybody and is all I can share myself. Then again, I’ve always been a believer in being the Tortoise vs. the Hare. 🙂

This was a really great post! I often find myself in “creative ruts” and to get out of them I make what I call Inspiration Posts on my blog. I gather a bunch of images of one type of item that I’d like to make and write a little bit about that item. It really helps get the creative juices flowing!